What was your first job as a journalist?
MY first assignment was to interview Jovito Salvaña Palparan Jr, a retired Army general, former politician, and a convicted criminal.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes.
How is social media changing news?
It disrupted the media landscape in a good and bad way. Good because we have more reach; bad because of proliferation of misinformation.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
April O'Neal of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. However it changed when my better half pointed out that I resemble Roxanne Ritchi of Megamind.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Hashtags that I thought were related to my beats, it turn out to be about sports or a celebrity.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
After I consumed my coffee.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
It is ever changing.
What's your favorite social network?
Friendster. Everyone was nice with their testimonials.
Who do you wish followed you?
Those in need of news updates.
Why did you become a journalist?
To change the nation for the better one story at a time.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Editor-in-Chief
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Remember why you want to be one; how you want to be remembered; then do no forget why you started.
When's the best time to pitch you?
After I consumed my coffee.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The story about the seafarers stuck in the middle of the sea during pandemic. There was no way to reach them. That was quite a challenge.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
People should stop watching movies where reporters "seduce" their sources to get stories. Never pitch me this. I will block or ban you.
What's your favorite drink?
Black coffee
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Reading a book away from everyone else.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The competition ;)
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
It's male-dominated.
